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Monday, March 4, 2013

Downtown I.F. pastry shop eyes opening Monday, March 11

La Vanilla Bean Patisserie in downtown Idaho Falls has set next Monday as the date for a soft opening.

Owner Kay Lynn Broadhead said they are testing the two gas convection ovens and getting staff trained this week at the corner bakery, which is at 489 Park Avenue, across B Street from Pachanga's.

Although she had hoped to open earlier, time has been her friend, she said. "It took a little longer than I though it would, but that has turned out to be good. We've been able to learn about food service and build relationships."

Broadhead and her baker, Jessica Carson, will be focusing on European style pastries (tarts, torts, Napoleons, eclairs, scones), and will also provide coffee, specialty cakes and lunch. On bread they are being joined by Jackie Cook, whom Broadhead met at culinary school.

Broadhead was a communications professor at Idaho State University for 20 years before she took early retirement in 2010 to attend the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vt. When she returned to Idaho her plan was to do business in Boise. But the storefront she thought she had lined up went to someone else, and when she started looking at other Idaho locations she was approached by the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Development Corp.

"I've got a very good feeling about what's happening with the downtown here," she said.